


i can't say hello to you (and risk another goodbye)

by ellalopez



Category: Manifest (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, bi!michaela, michevie?, stonequez
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-06
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-09-28 09:48:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17180651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellalopez/pseuds/ellalopez
Summary: when her best friend dies in a car accident, and she's the one behind the wheel, michaela stone starts to push people away when they get too close. she's terrified of hurting them, the memories from the past consuming her.but when jared vasquez comes into her life, the guard she's held up these past few months starts to crumble, and the weight on her heart gets a little bit lighter.





	i can't say hello to you (and risk another goodbye)

**MICHAELA STONE** didn't like to admit it, but her life was a mess.

Her schedule itself wasn't busy- in fact, she was rarely assigned cases to solve, the lieutenant taking pity on her despite her protests. She worked out twice a week, and life moved at a steady pace. But when she walked the streets of New York, she almost always got called out and was recognized as a passenger from the infamous Flight 828. She was more than that, she knew- but it hurt to see people who couldn't have cared less about her in high school reach out and pretend to be worried, the fake, high-pitched voicemails left nightly at Ben and Grace's household. Then there were the callings- the one that saved the two kidnapped sisters, and the one that threatened Jared's job as a detective. They grounded her, in a sense- she let them control her, guide her in ways she could understand, almost like a ship and its anchor.

Michaela knew the mess her life had become started years ago, and it only hurt more after the "five and a half years have passed but to you, it was more like two days" situation. She came back to loss _(of course she did- she could never catch a break, could she?)-_  a dead mother, her light and guiding force through it all, gone _,_  just like that- and the _one person_ she let herself love after Evie was married off to her best friend.

( _Maybe it's for the best,_ she tells herself.)

 

_**i.** _

"Mich, put down that book and help me pick a dress!"

Michaela barely glances up from the page she's on, her eyes darting from word to word, and Evie huffs, placing her hands on her hips.

"Whatever you choose, you'll look great." There's a ghost of a smile on her lips as she folds down a corner, bookmarking her spot, and she shuts the book, setting it on Evie's nightstand. Evie throws up her hands in victory, and she makes her way to her closet, pulling out a long red dress to match her lipstick.

"What do you think?" There's something flirtatious to the way she tilts her head, her eyes twinkling as she waits for Michaela's opinion. Michaela takes one quick look, already disagreeing, waving it away.

"Too formal for a party like this, Eve. What about..." Michaela stands up, heading for Evie's closet, making a beeline for the bundle of clothing stuffed in the corner. "This?"

Michaela holds up a purple and silver flecked dress, the design scattered like constellations. It's simple but a beautiful contrast against Evie's olive skin, and Michaela tosses it to her when she nods in agreement. Evie reaches out her arms for a hug, and Michaela buries her face into her wild dark hair, holding onto her tight.

"Love you, Eve."

"Don't go all soft on me, Stone. But I love you too."

 

_**ii.** _

Michaela leans her head on Evie's shoulder as they walk downstairs, a small gesture that could so easily be brushed off, but Evie smiles softly at it. Evie's mother, Beverly, beams at them and claps her hands when they enter the front hallway.

"Oh, don't you two just look gorgeous! Come, let's take a photo." She calls for her husband, Glen, to help her work the camera, and at the last second, Evie turns to kiss Michaela's cheek. Michaela tries to ignore the flutter in her heart, her mind wandering aimlessly into the _'what ifs'._ Her and Evie's friendship crossed into some other territory, something more but not quite there, and it was driving her crazy, to say the least.

"Earth to Michaela?" Evie nudges her with her shoulder, and Michaela snaps out of her thoughts. "You ready to go, babe?"

_(Babe. They've thrown that term around more often the past few months.)_

"Yeah, let's go."

**_iii._ **

After a twenty minute drive, Michaela and Evie reach the club and land a perfect parking spot at the entrance.

"Tonight is our night!" Evie yells, doing a little dance as she gets out of the car. Michaela shakes her head, shoving her playfully, a teasing look in her eyes.

"Eve, we're celebrating _me_ finishing _my_ training to become a police officer." Evie just grins wider and wraps an arm around her friend.

"Tomato, tamato, Mich. Your happiness is my happiness." Just as Michaela comes up with a sweet response back, Evie's phone goes off, buzzing in her jacket pocket. She picks up, squinting to read the caller ID.  _It's Lourdes,_ she mouths, placing her on speaker.

"Lou! Where are you, girl? Don't tell me you're not-" Evie groans as Lourdes cuts her off, explaining how she can't make it because of a work emergency. "We're supposed to be the  _three_ Amigas, not two!" Evie snorts at her own joke, and Michaela bites down on her lip to keep from laughing. They argue for a few more minutes, Evie desperately trying to persuade her, and Lourdes apologizes profusely.

"I can't, you guys. Trust me, I told my boss I was sick and he told me to come in anyway." Sighing, Evie hangs up, pouting at Michaela.

"Guess we'll just have to get _extra_ drunk in her spirit."

 

_**iv.** _

"One round of shots of your best stuff, please." Evie takes a seat at the bar counter, flashing her ID at the bartender, as Michaela joins in on the high stool next to her.

"I can't afford this stuff, Eve," she hisses under her breath, and Evie doesn't even blink, unfazed.

"You think I didn't come prepared? I took out some money from my college fund for this, babe." Michaela stares at her, unimpressed, and crosses her arms. Evie backtracks, raising both of her hands in surrender.

"Tough crowd, jeez. I'm _kidding,"_ she emphasizes, making sure Michaela gets the point. "I'm paying with the savings I earned from my Starbucks shifts." Michaela relaxes, arms unfolding, and the bartender chooses that moment to deliver their tray of drinks.

"Here you are, ladies," he winks at Evie, his brown hair falling in his eyes, perfectly timed, and Michaela scowls. She has the sudden urge to protect Evie from him, and she convinces herself it's not jealousy, just being a good friend. Evie swoons dreamily at him, watching him walk away to serve the next customer, and Michaela coughs to get her attention.

"Mich! We were having a moment!" Evie whines, turning around. Her eyes soften when she reads Michaela's expression, and she moves closer to her. "Don't worry, he'll  _never_ replace you."

Hiding her smile, Michaela grabs shot glasses for her and Evie, and they clink their glasses together.

"Here's a toast to my totally  _badass,_ badge and gun wielding,  super smart, and absolutely _gorgeous_ best friend ever. I'm so proud of you, Mich." Evie pulls her in for a hug, squeezing her with her free arm, and Michaela tries not to let her emotions show, tries not to melt in her embrace.  _Pull. Yourself. Together._

"I'm so lucky to have you, Evie," she mumbles, and Evie brushes a stray strand of hair from her face. Michaela looks at her, shifting her position to cover her blush, and continues. "Even if you  _are_ a reckless, flirty mess sometimes."

Evie gasps in mock horror, releasing her grip on Michaela's arm. "You take that back!"

"Make me," she challenges, downing her own shot in one go. Evie does the same, and even drinks another, giggling. She stands up, bringing them both to their feet, and before she can change her mind, Evie intertwines her fingers with Michaela's. She clasps her hand, leading her to the dance floor, where the bright lights flash to match the heavy beat.

"Dance with me!" Evie shouts, her voice barely audible over the music. Michaela's heart skips a beat, shrieking when Evie goes to dip her, and she holds onto her for balance. Their faces are inches apart, and Michaela searches her eyes, the colour of deep sienna. Evie could get anyone she wanted with her bubbly personality and her looks, but she never left her friends in the dust. She was so fiercely loyal, and she loved her so much-

"Thinking about kissing me, Mich?" Evie interrupts her, smirking, and Michaela nearly stumbles back, startled.

"What? No, why would I-"

"Aw, that's too bad, I was planning on kissing you though, if that was alright with you?" Evie said, her face so dangerously close and serious, eyes focused on her own. Michaela can't even _nod,_ the words frozen, caught in her throat. _Yes._

Evie leans down, lips grazing hers, faint like a feather's touch. Pink lip gloss stains her lips, and Evie draws her in, her arm circling Michaela's waist. _No dreams could ever recreate this,_ Michaela thinks. It's not until some jerk whistles behind them when they break apart, breathless.

"As I said, _no one_ can compare." Evie murmurs in her ear.

 

**_v._ **

"Whoo! I am the director of driving." Evie cheers, hours later as her and Michaela leave the club, clinging onto Michaela's arm for support.

"No, you are _not,_ if you can't even say 'designated driver'," Michaela laughs, reaching for Evie's car keys, as she's holding them up in the air. Evie beams at her, the streetlights illuminating her hair, making her look even prettier.

"You're my designated friend, and I love you." Michaela fights back a smile at the last three words.  _They had a chance- and she'd know if it was all real in the morning._

"Evie, tonight was supposed to be _my_ night to celebrate, and instead, _I_ get to be the grown-up because the cute bartender was feeding you shots." Her tone sours slightly at the mention of the bartender- when she went to the bathroom, she came back to find him pouring shots in Evie's mouth. Evie was too drunk to care, hysterical fits of laughter escaping her when Michaela dragged her outside.

"What are you doing?" Evie asks, seeing Michaela tap and scroll at her phone screen.

"I'm calling Uber," she responds, about to set their destination, when Evie shakes her head.

"No, I need my car in the morning, and you're totally _fine."_ Evie whines, her voice switching to the one she reserved for persuading people. Michaela looks up, frustrated and exhausted from the night's events.

"No, dude, don't do this to me."

"Okay, never mind. I got this." Evie snatches the keys from Michaela's grasp, spinning in circles to reach her car, her balance wobbling. Sighing, Michaela chases after her, taking the keys back once more.

"Evie. No, you don't," she says, defeated. Knowing she's won, Evie chants Michaela's name over and over in victory, and she enters the car happily.

 

**_vi._ **

_(There's a light. Why does her head hurt so much? Why can't she move? Where's Evie?)_

"-Miss, are you awake? Can you hear me? We're going to get you cleaned up, then bring you to the station for questioning..."

_(Something's buzzing. Why is it so loud? Why is she so tired? Is Evie okay?)_

Michaela's eyes flutter shut once more.

 

_**vii.** _

When she comes to, the buzzing's quieter, but she still cringes at the sound (that seems to be getting more annoying by the second). Her head is pounding, and the intensity of it all scares her, the pain overwhelming. Opening her eyes, she squints at her surroundings, trying to determine where she is. Clean scent, monitors beeping, could only mean-

_Why was she in the hospital?_

"You're awake! Lovely. I told them they needed to give you more time, to _rest,_ obviously,and so they compromised with two days. Now, you've just graduated from the police academy, which makes things much more complicated-" The person speaking stops suddenly, like she isn't allowed to give away any more information, and she pats Michaela's bandaged arm.

"I'm just so glad we didn't lose you too, sweetheart. Poor girl. Her family is heartbroken."

_Lose her too? Evie's not dead. She was just with her-_

"We were in the car together! She's fine, like I am, I was driving so slowly to get her home safe-" Her voice is raspy, and she chokes on her words, tears starting to burn at the corners of her eyes. "She's alive, I _know_ she is," she insists, and the nurse gives her a sympathetic look.

"I'm sorry, Michaela. She didn't make it, she died from impact almost immediately."

_(-and the world falls apart.)_

 

**_viii._ **

The nurse leaves her to be alone after that, and Michaela sits on the mattress provided and cries, the sobs wracking her body. She buries her face in her hands, the grief hitting her in waves, every time she thinks of a new memory of Evie. She doesn't notice when the doorknob twists, someone entering the room, rushing to her side.

"Mich." The voice whispers, and a comforting sense of familiarity washes over her.

 _"Jared."_ She says tearfully, allowing him to hug her. He holds her for a while, and Michaela sniffles, grateful that he's here.

"You're going to be alright, Mich." Jared says, and Michaela turns to face him, cheeks stained with tears and her eyelids puffy.

"She means, _meant,_ everything to me, J. And I- I killed her. I killed her and it's all my fault, and I'll never get to see her again." Michaela feels like throwing up, remembering the way Evie's eyes shined, how they redefined the meaning of beauty for her. Her best friend and could've been _girlfriend_ was gone, and she was to blame.

"You didn't kill her, Mich. Both of you were drunk- a lot of factors could be the cause. Your name's going to be cleared in the interrogation and on the trial, I know it is." Jared attempts to reassure her, a hand rubbing her back as he speaks.

"Even if I didn't kill her, I was the one driving, and I should've called Uber anyway-" she breaks down, another memory surfacing, and Jared pulls her to his chest. She surrenders to his arms, melting into him, appreciating the gesture  _(but part of her wishes it was Evie instead)._  

"I loved her so much, Jared." He nods, not quite understanding what Michaela's trying to say, a secret she's kept buried inside her for so long.

"She's an incredible person, Mich. We all miss her so much." Michaela collects herself and grips his shoulder, forcing Jared to look at her.

"I  _loved_ her, J. We could've had something, I was going to know if it was truly mutual when I woke up tomorrow-" Jared doesn't look too surprised when her words finally sink in, and he gives her a gentle, slight smile.

"I'm proud of you for telling me. Evie would've been proud of you too."

_(She lets herself cry after hearing that, and she learns to accept herself fully for who she is.)_

 

_**ix.** _

It gets easier to breathe as the weeks pass, the nightmares fading and pain slowly easing. Her fear of driving never ceases, though- she gets her brother, or Jared to take her places, and her parents offer sometimes too. She knows she's a burden, and when she tells Jared this, he firmly says the opposite- "You're someone brave enough to ask for help".

At some point, the line blurs between just friends and dating, with the soft, occasional forehead kisses and the way her heart beats just a little faster when he's around. He's her rock, always there to hold her through the breakdowns, to help her rebuild her life after Evie.

_(She doesn't know what she'd do without him.)_

 

_**x.** _

He places a hand on her back when they walk up Evie's driveway, their steps in sync on the rough concrete.

It's Evie's funeral, and Michaela feels like turning around when they approach the door. They didn't receive invites, and she knows why, of course- but she needs to do this for her.

Jared interlaces his hand with hers, an action meant to calm her and her rising anxiety. They exchange glances, and Michaela exhales, pressing the button to ring the doorbell.

Glen goes to answer the door, and she prepares herself for the hate speech she's about to hear from him.

 _Heartbreaking. Evie was such an amazing human being,_ someone says in the background. Michaela wants to scream at them- nobody  _saw_ Evie for who she was when she was alive. They all thought of her as the girl that always partied and stayed up late- and never as the smart, kind, and insanely talented girl she _really_ was.

"You're not welcome here," Glen states, Beverly by his side. Beverly looks at them both in anguish and horror, her eyes full of tears.

"How could you? How could you come here?"

All hope turns to ashes, the last flame burned out, and Jared looks down on the ground, apologetic. Glen holds Beverly to his chest, closing the door on her and Jared, blocking them out of their lives.

They never go back.

 

_**xi.** _

Six months after the accident, he proposes to her.

She's speechless, surrounded by candlelight and flower petals, the soft glow casting her golden hair like a halo. Jared's down on one knee on the hardwood floor, smiling at her like she has the stars written in her eyes and the world in her hands.

Except she doesn't.

_(It'd be selfish to let him love her like this, and she's terrified of the consequences, her heart racing at the thought of losing him.)_

She tells him she needs time to think.

_(-and he waits. He says he'd wait an eternity for her.)_

So, Michaela decides takes a trip to Jamaica with her family to clear her head, and she returns to discover the biggest betrayal of all.

He's not hers anymore, swept off his feet by Lourdes, the ring on his finger matching her best friend's.

 _(She had to let him go._   _She would be asking too much if he stayed.)_

But she still loves him, how could she not?

 

_**xii.** _

They reclaim their old rhythm after a while, the banter so lighthearted and breezy, as if she'd never taken that plane at all. Michaela leaves her guard up, her heart locked away in a cage, desperate as to not ruin the relationship he has with Lourdes. It's a constant reminder, but Jared's heartfelt comments chip at the wall she's built and make her want to forget.

Her snide remark about Lourdes when Jared told her she still took his breath away was well deserved, though. He was _married_ and talked to her like he wasn't, like he didn't have a wife at home already.

Their partnership becomes reliant on trust, and they know they have each other's backs. Jared goes as far as putting his job at risk for her, taking steps of faith that no one else has for her before, despite her begging him not to.

_(How can he expect her not to fall?)_

Michaela asks him to make a spontaneous road trip to find out more about one of her callings, to research the cause behind Cal's sudden illness, and he agrees soon after. She knows he's growing increasingly suspicious, with her seemingly random ideas to go places and impulsive actions. She tries to keep the favours to a bare minimum, but Jared still snaps, the last straw being the armed officer at the secluded barn. He pleads at her for the truth behind everything she's doing, and she hates it,hates that she's been lying to him, covering things up for so long, scared of how he might react.

She gives him what she can, and he listens- but the disbelief still shows.

A weight's lifted off her shoulders, though, because he finally understands some of what she's going through. She's no longer alone in her misery _(sure, she has her brother- but he's dealing with his own shit)_ and maybe it was worth it.

 

_**xiii.** _

Cal's ear-splitting headaches start affecting Michaela in the next few days, as well as Ben, Saanvi, and the stowaway Autumn Cox they've taken in. Vance, who's joined their team, observes them all in surprise.

"Enough proof?" Ben spits at him, gritting his teeth through the pain.

"I'll assemble a tactical team," Vance says, a hint of hesitation in his voice. If they act too quickly, it could backfire on them like their previous attempt. 

They agree to meet at the location in exactly 90 minutes, careful as to not alert the people involved in the project. Michaela tries to fight Jared when he asks to come with her, mentioning how the next time she sees his mom, she'll tell her how stubborn her son is. She earns a smug, winning smile from him in response.

Upon their arrival, Michaela, Jared, and Vance get suited up with bulletproof vests, the tactical team in their own camouflage gear. She steals a glimpse back at Jared as they make their way up the metal stairs, vowing that it won't be her last. On Vance's signal, someone kicks open the door, and they get ushered inside, frantic but organized. They find an empty warehouse, and disappointedly, they report this to Ben and Fiona.

Jared eyes Vance with skepticism, blame clear in his tone. "Maybe somebody tipped them off." Vance gives him the same icy glare, and Fiona steps in, diffusing the argument.

"Stop, everyone. This is getting us nowhere. We have to find these people." she says, with emphasis on the word 'find'.

"Where do we _look?_ We have no idea where they went," Ben replies, annoyed. Their conversation is cut short, Cal's voice piercing through the air.

"Dad! They're still here!"

"Cal, what are you doing here? Where's Mom?" Ben asks, alarmed.

"I had to come! I left a note!" Cal says, his sketchbook in hand. He tells them that he took a bus, and Michaela looks at him in bewilderment.

"No one knows where we are right now."

Cal explains that he just  _knew,_ that he's supposed to help them find the missing passengers. He flips to the newest drawing in his sketchbook, a picture of the property, with a blood stain between two trees. He points to it, repeating that they're right _there,_ and Ben instructs Vance and his team to check.

"Seriously?" Vance says, raising an eyebrow. With a sigh, he complies, muttering under his breath. "I followed a headache, I may as well follow a crayon drawing."

His crayon drawing proves to be true, revealing an old, abandoned tunnel, and the team files into it one by one. Cal urges Ben to go in with them, insisting that he's the only one that can see  _them,_ whatever 'them' is. Ben presses a kiss to his son's forehead and crawls in, Fiona right behind him, while Michaela stays with Cal in the car.

She does her best not to worry about Jared as she sits, biting back curses when a severe headache hits her and Cal. Minutes later, the agony ends abruptly, and both her and Cal exhale in relief. They watch the tunnel together as Ben and Fiona thankfully emerge safely. The passengers get hauled out and led inside one of NSA's trucks, Fiona informing them that she knows a place they can go, and they drive away.

Ben opens the car door hurriedly, his movements hectic as he speaks to Cal and Michaela. "You okay?"

"Where's Jared and Vance?" Michaela asks instead, the impatience getting to her.

"They went to get Laurence with a couple of Vance's guys," Ben answers, cradling his son's head. Michaela instinctively reaches for her gun, in its holster on her waist, and gestures at Ben.

"Take Cal home. I'm going to go check." She says, tucking her hair behind her ear as she gets out of the car. An explosion sounds, and it sets Michaela's heart into overdrive, and all she can think about is-

"JARED!" She screams, sprinting towards the tunnel. Ben yells her name to stop her, running to drag her back, but it's too late to change her mind.

The fire sends her and Ben tumbling to the ground, and everything turns black.

 

_**xiv.** _

Arms tighten around her like a straightjacket, and she's too dazed from the impact to figure out who it is.

"...Mich. There's tunnels under the whole area. It's unstable. Come on."  _Ben._ He starts to lead her to the car, rambling about how they need to go, when Michaela remembers.

"No. Take Cal and go." She says firmly, pushing him off.

"It's unsafe, Mich!" Ben shouts. "Get in the car!"

"Jared is still down there, Ben! Jared is still down there! I'm not leaving him!" She yells in response, and Ben knows it's no use trying to negotiate with her. "Just take Cal! Go! _GO!_ "

He doesn't hesitate and jumps into the car, tires screeching on the gravel, and Michaela crawls into the tunnel.

When she gets inside, she turns on her flashlight, shining it on the rubble and dusty pathways. "Jared!" She calls, echoing throughout the cave. Something bursts aflame, and she follows the sound, her heart pounding. She catches sight of a body, the one of Laurence Belson, the one in charge of the project, and she turns away in disgust. She walks faster, seeing another body, and collapses to her knees.

"Jared!  _Jared."_ Michaela shakes him forcefully, desperate for him to wake up. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God-"

She puts a finger to his neck for a pulse, and it's barely there, which only worries her more. "Come on, please, _please please please please_ \- SOMEBODY HELP ME! HELP ME!" Michaela screams until her throat hurts, and she pulls Jared up so his head rests in her hands. "Please don't do this. No, no, no, _no-"_

_She won't let history repeat itself._

 

_**xv.** _

They load Jared onto a stretcher, and Michaela insists that she has to be along for the ride. She sits, cross-legged in the back of the ambulance, sirens wailing as they speed to the hospital. Medical aids clean him up and pick out dirt and rocks the best they can, hooking an IV to a vein to feed him fluids. A nurse works on her cuts, but she's so numb that her own injuries don't even sting. Michaela's eyes brim with tears, memories of Evie laying motionlessly flashing across her mind.

"Ma'am, when we reach the hospital, you're going to need to leave him to us. He's in stable condition- he's going to be just fine," someone says to her, calm and reassuring.

**_(You're going to be alright, Mich.)_ **

 

_**xvi.** _

The hospital room is quiet except for Jared's shallow breaths, his chest rising and falling with the help of the ventilator. A cuff is wrapped around his left arm, and minor cuts and bruises make his face look worn out.

Michaela watches him sleep from the window, her fingers clutching her sleeve. Her precinct's captain steps behind her, his eyes wary.

"Has he come to yet?"

She can't form words, so she just shakes her head, the unwelcome sense of déjà vu coming over her like a dark cloud.  _It'll be different this time,_ she repeats to herself, a mantra keeping her going.

"How the hell did you two get mixed up in an anti-terrorist op?" He asks, and Michaela looks down, a tear sliding down her cheek.

"We got an anonymous tip. We didn't know what we were walking into." Her voice is unidentifiable, hoarse from being dehydrated and crying.

**_(I should've called Uber anyway-)_ **

_(I shouldn't have brought him into this.)_

"Some good people lost their lives. I knew one of them. Robert Vance, NSA." The captain says, and Michaela turns her head at his name.

"No, I saw him getting loaded into the back of an ambulance."

"He didn't make it," the captain states.

**_(I'm sorry, Michaela. She didn't make it, she died from impact almost immediately.)_ **

"Don't give up hope," he says, motioning at Jared before he walks away. "He needs you."

A nurse leaves Jared's room, and Michaela enters as the door's about to click shut. Seeing Jared's fragile state up close proves to be too much for her to handle, and she takes a shaky breath, trying to compose herself.

She takes a seat next to him in one of the hospital-issued chairs, unsure of what to do or say.

"I don't know who you are, or what you are- but I have listened to you. Listen to me, _please."_ She nearly laughs at the absurdity of the situation, how she's talking, _begging_ to a voice in her head.

"I can't lose him.  _Please,_ I can't lose him. _I can't lose him."_

_(Lose her too? Evie's not dead. She was just with her-)_

She cries harder and prays to every god in the sky.

_Please don't go._

 

_**xvii.** _

Michaela sinks lower in her chair, absentmindedly combing her fingers through her hair as she waits. Deep in her thoughts, she almost doesn't notice when Jared stirs, his position shifting slightly. She stands up so fast that she gets a little lightheaded, leaning on Jared's bed for support.

She says his name twice, thanking whatever miracle saved him. Jared's eyes struggle to open, but when they do, he squints at Michaela's blurry figure, the person he'd recognize anywhere.

"Hi," he mumbles, mustering all his strength to smile at her.

"Hi. _Hi,"_ she says back, the butterflies in her stomach taking flight, and she's so happy-

 _But she shouldn't be here,_ something whispers at the corners of her mind. His wife,his _family_ should, and she takes a small step backwards.

"Lourdes is on her way, I'll go- I'll go get her."

Jared grabs her hand, still a perfect fit with hers, and opens his mouth to speak.

"No, please. Stay with me."

Michaela wraps her hand around his, sliding it in place like she's sealing a promise.

"Okay."

_(She's still broken, but for the first time since Evie, things are starting to look up- and she just might be okay.)_


End file.
